River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-01-27

frequently uHell upon 10y UbOIge bllOt,
whose early home was in the country.
| We need but To read the table of con.
tents in collection of Whittier s
poems, or those of the Cary sisters, To
recall how these simple sights and ex.
periences of country life inspired their
pure thought and noble song. Ii YOU
would find "A beautiful ideal of coun-
try life, buy +. T.. ROe's Natures Ser
lal Story, give To your SONS and daugh.
tiers for aChristmas gift, and read aloud
with them on winter evenings. If |
mistake not, the book Will delight them
and you, and teach "A better apprecia-
ton and Appropriation of your country
privileges.
Incompatible ale the advantages of
country girl fol physical develop.
ment. Pure air, fresh, unaduterated
food, out door work and pastmes, bet
ter conditions foI sleep. should make
her superior to her city sister in the
g eat essential of a sound body.
turn with reluctance from the con
sideratiCn of the possible to that of the
actual. L feaT that to day, in many
even welltO-do farmers homes in Wis
cOnsIn, the girl has not passed the
dI Judge and doll conditions of earlier
times. On the one hand, we see her
awkward, stolid, undressing, plOd-
ding. GA the other, in "a still more
GeplOrable condition OF selfish ease and
dependence, satisfied and vain because
Of her few shallow accomplishments
Is t not true that many of our country
girlS are Ound.shOuldrred, narrow.
chested, weak lunged. pale and nerve
less! Is it not true that many whose
services are needed at home are dlsSat-
iStled with their condition, anxious to
90 out to domestic service, teach
school, clerk, do any thing simply to
get away from the farml Is it true
That many a country girl prefers to
marry a dude who spends his inca
ger earnings IN buying gaudy necktles.
and keeps his boots blacked, to the
honest young farmer, who can offer
her home on broad, well-tilled acres
of his own! 1t Is said that insanity is
more prevalent among farmers wives
than among individuals of any other
class. 1t is true that many a sad faced
farmers wife does say, My daughter
shall never marry farmer if her
mother can help it.
If these charges are wholly or partly
true, there must be causes for them,
and there must be remedies for them,
too. The work of producing by your
labor and skill, in conjunction with the
great forces of nature--that which
nourishes and clothes the wOrld-has,
IN itself, nothing that is not ennObling
aud satisfying. The fault, then, must
he with the workers, and not with Tile
work.
Let us try to find some of the causes
which probably lead to these unsatis-
factory results. In the country, as
we'll as in the city, too little attention
IS paid to health. In selecting build.
ing sites, too often the question OF
convenience sets aside the more i'm
portant one of good drainage. The
well is dug where it will be most chan
dy' to water the stock, not where the
purest water for the children can be
found. While due care is taken to
warmly house the hog that is to be
fattened, the noble horse and the COW.
The delicate daughter, who has already
a warning cough, is allowed to sleep IN
a small, unwarmed room, whose walls
may be dripping with moisture. Her
careful mother takes pains to exclude
the sunlight IN order to preserve the
colUrs IN her carpet, while she lgnOr-
antiy sacrifices the color IN the bright
cheek of her daughter. The wintry
storm may be "tOO bad to take the
horses out, but the daughter Is al
lowed To walk IA mile to school and sit
b 4. fEtrnunh GLIrfG "A
poorly ventilated, poorly warmed
school room. Many girls are not suf-
liciently clad for this rigorous climate
Good flannel is costly, but doctors bills
sickness and death cost more. The
girls food is not selected and
cooked with that care, which is nee
essaTy TO make her, first Of all, a thor
Oughly strong and healthy mind. lis
well farmers discuss earnestly the best
food for producing fat hogs, largest
amount OF butter and cheese, at least
expense, but thoughts should also be
given to the questions, Nv hat shall we
reed our children that they may have
sound teeth, good digestion, healthy
skin 2" What food is best To supply
The fat, which our thin, hollOw-eyed
Ellllu W ANil a NthhNANy
lacks! The girl is not encouraged TO
climb trees, ride horseback, saddle
and harness "A horse and do many other
things that help to make her brother,
strong of body.
IN so I'D body, l plead that the
farmers daughter and his son, too, be
given a cultivated mind. So often, it
Is said. "Of what use is an education TO
a farmers son, much less to a farmer 5
| daughter who is to be nothing out a
farmer wife by-and-by p OF what
use! To whom is it of greater use
or what use to be surrounded by the
beauties and glOries of nature, if the
eyes have never been open to see, and
the ears have never been open to hear
the lessons which they teach Is it con
sistent TO think that tue noble sciences
Of botany, Zoology, chemistry, astron'
omy and geology are of more value to
| the embryo banker, book keeper, and
lawyer and their future wives, than u
the men and women who have the con
liliOns to make them a lifelong delight
rs well AS source of practical value
| in their business. "The learned eye
IS still the loving one, and blank fields
| Weedy roadsides, the hollOws in the
wood, the beclouded sky will be full
Of suggestions for thought and not
| lonely when "GOd is seen in God, in the
| star, in the stone, in the flesh, in the
soul, in the clod." Where is more
needed, than in the farmers home
isolated rs it necessarily is, the diver
sion which comes from well selected
library and the ability to use it
| believe that for the failure on the part
| of parents to recognize this need OF
mental training many girls as well a:
| boys leave the farm. But, you say
III We send our sons and daughters /,
the schools and universities, they art
dissatisfied with the condition OF
| things at home when they return.
| It's well. It's very well, l think
Say to the sons and daughters who thu.
feel, we are glad you have found
out better ways and have higher ideals
than when you went away. Now We
will join hands with You in an etfor'
TO make our home more to your Xix
ing" Do you realize what JOY u
would be to your children TO be thus
taken into partnership, labOring witt
you and for You To poor health anC
lack of opportunity for mental train
ing. [ would add the unattTactiye home
as fruitful cause of unhappiness a
least TO the farmers daughter. 0n'
| -unauar a philauthrOuip panflpman